RCMAR Annual Meeting promotes mentorship and research on aging

The latest Annual Meeting convened by the Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research (RCMAR) National Coordinating Center, held in Arlington, Virginia, from June 26 to 28, centered on the theme of transforming diverse aging research through inspiring and mentoring scientists.

Current and former RCMAR scientists presented research findings from completed pilot studies and progress updates for ongoing research. The meeting included several professional development sessions for the scientists and members of RCMAR center leadership teams. NIH National Institute on Aging Deputy Director Amy Kelley, MD, MSHS, delivered the keynote address. Nearly 100 attendees participated in person and 30 participated virtually.

“We were so excited to create the opportunity for leaders and research scientists from the 18 RCMAR centers around the country to enhance collaboration, provide support to early career scientists, and to continue to make advancements in the aging field,” said National Coordinating Center Leadership Team member Patricia M. D’Antonio, BSPharm, MS, MBA, BCGP, who is also the vice president of policy and professional affairs for the Gerontological Society of America, where the National Coordinating Center is housed.

The RCMAR program supports behavioral and social research on aging, health disparities in older adults, and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and AD-related dementias through the development of research infrastructure and the mentorship of early career scientists from diverse backgrounds, including, but not limited to, individuals from racial and ethnic groups underrepresented in biomedical and behavioral research, individuals with disabilities, and women.

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The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) is the nation’s oldest and largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to research, education, and practice in the field of aging. The principal mission of the Society — and its 5,500+ members — is to advance the study of aging and disseminate information among scientists, decision makers, and the general public. GSA’s structure includes a nonpartisan public policy institute, the National Academy on an Aging Society, and GSA is also home to the National Center to Reframe Aging and the National Coordinating Center for the Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research.

The RCMAR National Coordinating Center is supported by the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number U24AG083253. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health or the National Institute on Aging.